- Implemented Hero sheet messages.
- Debugged the connection management.
- Implemented Narrator's connection management UI.

Note that the restrictions on opening/saving keywords have been
removed.  The restrictions were only in place for a single version -
after that they came off but I forgot to mention it.

My current estimates are that the networking changes should be
complete by year end - possibly with some rough edges.

regards,
Charles

- Implemented and debugged 50% of the networking infrastructure. One
management screen to display and/or disconnect players is required.
All of the participant/hero/contest messaging yet to be implemented.
Networking has only been tested within a single machine.  I suspect
that I need to account for the different text file formats between
Windows and Unix (CR/LF vs LF only).

- Implemented networked change notifications (i.e. the messages sent
out to update participants and hero sheets when a contest is
confirmed).

- Implemented networked Game History messages.

- Finished off ability tests - acted, combat, description.

- Rewrote contest UI using GridBagLayout to reduce the space required
and to simplfy code. Still requires some UI cleanup - but there
should be no functional difference.

- Changed Extended Contests bid limits to follow recent clarification
on HW-Rules.

- Fixed bug in edge enhancements by allowing only even numbers.

regards,
Charles

I have found a bug in edges, it does not calculate the correct
resistance when the requested edge is an odd number.  The fix will be
to limit required edges to even numbers (as that make the most sense
to me).

Has anyone noticed any other bugs?

regards,
Charles

New/changed features in latest version

- A HTML editor for hero descriptions - pretty poor, but this appears
to be due to problems with the default Java HTML editor (I know, I
know, a poor workman blames his tools).

- Fixed window name bug while opening previous file.

- Further code clean-ups.

- Improved HTML layout of character sheets.  They now look pretty
similar to those in HW:RiG

regards,
Charles

- Added properties for default data and log directories and basic UI
to manage them.
- Facility to record the last 4 local files opened and put them on
the file menus of the contest window and hero window. Opens the file
in a new window.
- Added facility to open a data file from a URL and keep track of the
last 10 URLs used. Try opening
http://www.indigost.demon.co.uk/glorantha/karath.xml from the Hero
Wars Program.
- Made all of the window names consistent.
- Major code clean-up in areas where my understanding of Java has
changed. No expected functional change (I hope...!).

If anyone has problems, please let me know.  And if anyone finds all
is well, let me know that too!

regards,
Charles

The changes in today's update are:

- Save character sheets etc. as HTML.
- Clean up hero/ability names in character sheets so that, when
dragged to the contest screen (specifically, the enhancement contest)
they make more sense.
- Sort out naming of character sheet windows.
- Ask whether to save modified character sheets when a new one is
opened in ths same place.  At some point, I will look into asking the
user to save on program closedown.

regards,
Charles

I have just uploaded the latest version of the program.

Please re-read the HeroWarProgramChangeLog.html and
HeroWarProgramPlans.html from the files section before downloading.

I have temporarily disabled open/save of Keywords and Keyword Groups
while awaiting a response from Greg Stafford on the advisability of
providing this feature.

Apple Macs have been removed from the installation list - I have just
found out that there is no JRE 1.3 for them.  I believe that there is
an alpha or beta JRE 1.3 for the (alpha or beta) Mac OS X.

I have added Brians request to my list of planned changes - any
further ideas will be considered.

regards,
Charles

>The bump being one way only was a deliberate design decision - I would
>be delighted to see arguments against (and for).  However, once you
>have started a contest (i.e. not only shown the screen but pressed the
>contest button too) there should be no way to back off without
>recording the decision on the log screen.

That's fair enough. For my own part, I haven't yet had the chance to play or run
'real' HW, so I've been using the software to try out example contests and get a
better idea of (1) how the rules work (it's clarified quite a few things) and
(2) what the relative differences in skill actually mean (this might be
particularly useful to a narrator trying to decide how powerful to make an
opponent)

  I've been surprised, for example, how easy it is for luck to allow an inferior
contestant to defeat a more powerful contestant if they are, say, 10 points
different in their target numbers - very often it's a double Success and the
results come down to which of the two rolled lower on their die i.e. 50-50.

So that's why I'm interested in "undoable" bumps - I simply haven't internalised
the rule system and don't know what the result of a bump will be without looking
up the extended contest table every time - I'd like the software to do that
look-up for me so that I know whether it's worthwhile paying the hero point or
not. In other words, once I spend the HP I'm quite happy that I can't undo that
choice, but I'd like to know what the effect will be before I make the decision.

Cheers

Brian

Hi Charles, et all

Part of the quiet is that the Java download and install
is pretty daunting to those of us with dialup and
not too much confidence in installation programs.

I'm looking forward to trying this, but it will take
a while before my system is ready for the Java Virtual
Engine.

Regards
Mark Leymaster

Brian,

For the log window and contest window to be visible at the same time,
just move them both to where-ever there is room and re-size the log
window to fit.

The bump being one way only was a deliberate design decision - I would
be delighted to see arguments against (and for).  However, once you
have started a contest (i.e. not only shown the screen but pressed the
contest button too) there should be no way to back off without
recording the decision on the log screen.

I am looking forward to this being networked and what might be
appropriate in single user mode might not be appropriate in
multi-user...

regards,
Charles

> -----Original Message-----
> From: brian.duguid@... [mailto:brian.duguid@...]
> Sent: 29 November 2000 17:27
> To: HeroWarsProgram@egroups.com
> Subject: RE: [HeroWarsProgram] It's quiet in here isn't it?
>
>
> >Any bugs?
>
> I've played around a little with the extended contest, and
> the first thing that comes to mind is that there needs to
> be more opportunity to Undo or Cancel. For example, if I
> run a round of the contest, I might want to see "what if" I
> bump the result. At the moment, if I choose to bump the
> result, I then lose the option to cancel or go back to a
> non-bumped result. It would be better to be able to test
> the bump, maybe decide against it, before then opting to
> Confirm or Switch.
>
> What else? Er, perhaps the log window could be visible at
> the same time as the contest window, so I can look back at
> what happened before while continuing with the contest.
>
> More later, perhaps.
>
> Brian
>
> -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor
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>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> HeroWarsProgram-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>
>
>

>Any bugs?

I've played around a little with the extended contest, and the first thing that
comes to mind is that there needs to be more opportunity to Undo or Cancel. For
example, if I run a round of the contest, I might want to see "what if" I bump
the result. At the moment, if I choose to bump the result, I then lose the
option to cancel or go back to a non-bumped result. It would be better to be
able to test the bump, maybe decide against it, before then opting to Confirm or
Switch.

What else? Er, perhaps the log window could be visible at the same time as the
contest window, so I can look back at what happened before while continuing with
the contest.

More later, perhaps.

Brian

Is anyone playing with this toy?
Any comments?
Any bugs?
Is that an empty echo?

I have been working on the character sheet stiff and this should be
ready to release either tonight or tomorrow night.  Keywords, and
hero bands will be supported, moderately well.  There is one change
to the file format, Abilities of type Piety (worship, Devotee,
Initiate, Tradition etc.) have become relationships - you will need
to edit the saved file, if any, to make them usable.  I hope that
there will be no further changes to the file format.

regards,
Charles

Jeff,

All the files are in the single hw_YYYYMMDD.jar download - the html
files are there for people who want to know more before investing in
the 5Mb download from Sun.

Thanks for your interest - I should put together a FAQ with your
points.

regards,
Charles

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Neufeld [mailto:neufeldj@...]
> Sent: 24 November 2000 03:19
> To: HeroWarsProgram@egroups.com
> Subject: [HeroWarsProgram] Installation of Program
>
>
> Just like to add that I was able to install the program by
> doing the
> following:
>
> 1) Place all the files in the file section in a folder I named
> herowars
> 2) renamed hw_20001119.zip to hw_20001119.jar (note that
> even though
> the file starts as .jar, after the download it had been changed
> to .zip)
> 3) downloaded Java 1.3 from Sun (went to
> http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/jre/ and followed the link to my
> platform, very simple though it is a 5 Meg download)
> 4) doubleclicked hw_20001119.jar and I was off
>
>
> Charles, would it be possible to combine all the files into
> a single
> zipped download?  This might prevent the file extension rename as
> well.
>
> Looks interesting by the way.  Let me play with it and I might have
> some more useful comments to add.
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
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>
>
>

Just like to add that I was able to install the program by doing the
following:

1) Place all the files in the file section in a folder I named
herowars
2) renamed hw_20001119.zip to hw_20001119.jar (note that even though
the file starts as .jar, after the download it had been changed
to .zip)
3) downloaded Java 1.3 from Sun (went to
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/jre/ and followed the link to my
platform, very simple though it is a 5 Meg download)
4) doubleclicked hw_20001119.jar and I was off


Charles, would it be possible to combine all the files into a single
zipped download?  This might prevent the file extension rename as
well.

Looks interesting by the way.  Let me play with it and I might have
some more useful comments to add.

Jeff

I have now has three reports of successfull installations (only 3?).

I have not updated the software as I am in the middle of implementing
rudimentary character sheets.

After the interest shown on the HW-Rules, I am going to do the work
on keyword aids for character sheets before the networked contests.
But first, I must get save/restore and copy&paste and drag&drop
working with the new character sheets.

regards,
Charles

try http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/jre/ - all of the platforms that Sun
supports are pretty well signposted from there.  Remember, it is an
approx. 5Mb download for the American/English
non-internationalised version (which is all you need from my point of
view, as I have not even vaguely considered multiple languages).

regards,
Charles

> -----Original Message-----
> From: brian.duguid@... [mailto:brian.duguid@...]
> Sent: 22 November 2000 16:58
> To: HeroWarsProgram@egroups.com
> Subject: RE: [HeroWarsProgram] Re: Installation
>
>
> In my case, it's Windows 98.
>
> Cheers, Brian.
>
> >the JRE runs on multiple platforms, so I cannot be more specific
> >without having to detail platforms that I know nothing of.  If you
> >can tell me which platform that you use then I will try to be more
> >helpfull.
>
> -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor
> -------------------------~-~>
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> It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free!
> http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/0/_/_/_/974912264/
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------_->
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> HeroWarsProgram-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>
>
>

In my case, it's Windows 98.

Cheers, Brian.

>the JRE runs on multiple platforms, so I cannot be more specific
>without having to detail platforms that I know nothing of.  If you
>can tell me which platform that you use then I will try to be more
>helpfull.

--- In HeroWarsProgram@egroups.com, "Brian Duguid"
<brian.duguid@i...> wrote:
> Charles -
>
> Could you be clearer about where the JRE download is? It's not easy
> to find the version you specify from the java.sun.com homepage!
>
> Brian

Brian,

the JRE runs on multiple platforms, so I cannot be more specific
without having to detail platforms that I know nothing of.  If you
can tell me which platform that you use then I will try to be more
helpfull.

regards,
Charles

Charles -

Could you be clearer about where the JRE download is? It's not easy
to find the version you specify from the java.sun.com homepage!

Brian

I have had one reported success so far - his advice, rename the
downloaded hw_YYYYMMDD.zip file to it's correct name/extension
hw_YYYYMMDD.jar

regards,
Charles

Two installation updates

1 - You need to put the HeroWarsProgram*.html files and the
HeroWarsProgram.gif file in the same directory as the hw_*.jar file.
Your can either download these files separately or extract them from
the hw_*.jar file using your favoured zip file manipulation tool.

2 - the download from Sun is approx 5Mb for the US (non-
internationalised) version of the JRE


Also, one way to test whether the JRE is installed correctly is (on
Windows andyway) open a DOS command file and type in the command:
       java
by itself.  If this gives you a file not found error then java is not
installed correctly (alternatively it might be installed but it is
not in your PATH).  If it outputs the usage of the java command then
java is installed correctly.

regards,
Charles

If you succeed in installing and running the program then please drop
me an email to let me know.

The .html files in the files area of this group are the various help
files for the program.

In at least one case, when it was downloaded, the hw_20001117.jar
file was renamed to hw_20001117.zip which prevented it running as it
should.  If this happens to you, just rename the extension back
from .zip to .jar and the all should be well (at least until the next
problem!).

BTW, a .jar file actually is a zip file, you can open it with winzip,
ziptools, zipmagic etc. and see the files that it contains.

regards,
Charles

--- In HeroWarsProgram@egroups.com, "Oliver Bernuetz"
<bernuetz.oliver@c...> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Sorry to reveal my ignorance but after downloading the program and
the
> JRE I still have absolutely no idea on how to run this program.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Oliver
I have to assume that you are running some form of Microsoft Windows -
  I have no Apple Mac experience and little Unix experience
1 - install the JRE
2 - try double-clicking hw_20001117.jar - it might take a minute to
start
3 - open a DOS command window, cd to the directory containing
hw_20001117.jar and type the command
         java -jar hw_20001117.jar
if there are errors, these should indicate what is wrong otherwise it
may take up to two minutes to start.

regards,
Charles

Hi all,

Sorry to reveal my ignorance but after downloading the program and the
JRE I still have absolutely no idea on how to run this program.

Thanks,

Oliver

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